


Hour of Silence, An

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-02-13
Updated: 2002-02-13
Packaged: 2019-05-15 12:47:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14790794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Josh and Donna talk.





	Hour of Silence, An

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

 

An Hour Of Silence

Summary: Josh and Donna talk.

Rating: PG

Category: Josh/Donna

 

Donna stared at the ground as she heard Josh walk back towards her. He'd arranged this; whether as a boss doing damage control or a friend trying to keep her out of jail, she didn't know. She'd bet it was the former. Josh sat down next to her without a word. "It's getting cold already," he commented. She didn't respond. After a few moments of silence, Josh surreptitiously shifted and put his arm behind her back. "It'll be alright," he said quietly. They sat there like that for a while, before Josh broke the silence. "Why'd you do it?" he asked again, quieter, but still with a frustrated edge. Donna shook her head and looked at the ground. "I-I don't know, Josh. There's nothing in there relevant to the MS thing-"

"I know, you told me that. They don't care about relevancy, Donna. Anything-"

"Last Christmas." Donna turned her head slightly to look at Josh. "Last Christmas, I was worried about you. I'd written some things in there about..."

"About what?" Josh asked wearily. This thing was gonna haunt him till he died. "Before you, y'know, talked with Stanley and all that, I'd, um, done some research on the Internet, based on, well, how you were acting."

"You were the one who figured it out," Josh recalled. Donna fixed him with an intent stare. "I figured a lot out, Josh," she said quietly. Josh inched over towards her a bit. "When did you... do this research?"

"Around the tenth... long before anything happened."

"Like my putting my hand through a window and screaming at the President." Donna looked back over at him. Josh was staring at the ground. He'd never forgiven himself for that. He covered up a lot of the guilt he felt- for a lot of things- underneath that jaunty, swaggering bravado. "That's in there too..." she trailed off. "I know what this would do to your career if it got out."

"Why'd you write anything in the first place?"

"Because I was scared, and worried sick, and writing things down helps. Not to mention I had no idea that a few months later we'd be in the midst of a Presidential cover-up investigation-"

"It wasn't a cover-up," Josh said, but the standard line came out tired and without conviction. Donna sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said. Josh looked over at her. "For what?" Donna laughed, but it didn't hold any of the normal sparkle. "For this whole mess. It would've been easier if I'd just-"

"Donna, if you EVER bring up resigning again, I'll-"

"What? Fire me? That would defeat the purpose, wouldn't it?"

"No. I'd do something that would drive you crazy. I don't know what yet. Give me some time, I'll come up with something." Donna almost chuckled at that. She had offered to resign, once she'd gotten back from her car. She'd sat there for a while, crying, because she couldn't cry in front of Josh, and if she went anywhere else someone would notice, and ask about it. So she'd come back to his office, letter in hand, and told him she'd quit. Josh nearly fell out of his chair before telling her that there was no way she was leaving. He taken the letter and ripped it up, before making her promise that she'd never bring it up again.

She hadn't really promised.

Then they'd started doing damage control, and settled on this- an under the table, deniable meeting. Donna glanced at her watch, trying to figure where he was in her diary. She wished she hadn't written that entry last week: "Josh was so cute tonight, at least before I told him about Cliff. He's got this bow-tie problem- he can't tie his own and it's part of our routine for me to tie it for him now. He kept wanting to be like Toby Bennett- who is not only shorter and Italian, but isn't near as cute as Josh. Personal opinion, I guess..."

They fell back into silence again. Eventually, Josh glanced at his watch and stood, heading back towards the fountain. Cliff appeared a few moments later. Donna rose and walked over, standing slightly behind Josh. Cliff handed her the diary and met her eyes. "Nothing in here was relevant," he said, his eyes flickering for an instant to Josh. Donna nodded tensely. He turned and walked away. Donna turned as well, and began walking back to Josh's car. Josh watched Cliff until he drove away, then caught up with Donna. He settled his arm around her shoulders and briefly squeezed her shoulders. "It'll be alright," he repeated, and this time, she could believe him.


End file.
